By 1904 Inverness consisted of the traditional Scots, Irish, French, Belgians, Italians, Russians, and a sprinkling of other nationalities. The town assumed an international atmosphere on a sound industrial base. The mine was down 2500 feet, half of it under the sea. There were 482 men employed in the newly incorporated town of 3000 people. This compared with Port Hood with a population of 1000 and a mining force of 215, and Mabou with a mining force of 38 and no real form of settlement.

Mining had come of age in Inverness and surrounding areas and the miner, for the most part, was satisfied and even enjoyed his work. The man who lowered his body into the bowels of the deep and dark earth: who very seldom had the opportunity to enjoy fresh air, the sun, the sky, flowers, the gentle rolling of waves upon the sand; who continually put his life in jeopardy in Ms underground home of seemingly never-ending darkness, was a very special person. This was the man whose body toiled for long and dreary hours throughout his working life.

Some found comfort in the local saloons where one could sit and soon dispose of much of their $1.25 per day salary, ft has thus been reported that by 1904 there were twenty-seven bars along the main street and one eldery resident estimated forty from the Corner to Number Two. Whether these estimates are exaggerations or not one must observe that liquor was in abundance and was a deadly companion for anyone involved in such a perilous occupation as mining.